From a clinician’s perspective, what are some of the unique advantages Home Hospital offers?
I think the nicest part about Home Hospital is that the patient load is small enough that you're able to provide really focused nursing care. For example, you may need to go a little bit slower for some patients to feel comfortable and to provide the patient with what they need, both emotionally as well as physically. Having a smaller patient load provides me the opportunity to spend flexible amounts of time in the home of a patient.
You can also establish that nurse-patient relationship very quickly, and many times it extends into a small friendship. A patient’s home is a nice starting point to open up dialogue and make them feel comfortable with you so that you can get a good assessment. You end up knowing a patient’s children’s names, their pet’s names, their favorite season, where they like to vacation and so much more. You learn a lot about somebody when you have the time to ask those types of questions. It helps ease a patient to ask ever day questions peppered in with the medical questions. I had one patient that loved Coca-Cola, like me. Eventually, each time I would visit, the patient would have a Coca-Cola waiting for me! It was a small but important action to help build a connection between us.
What inspires you at work?
When I'm having a bad day with traffic or feeling overtired, I think about the patients I've connected with and remember, this is why I do this every day. It re-inspires me and it's a wonderful feeling. I always encourage every nurse to come over to Home Hospital because they will love it.
